At the Edge of All Things

Raw Log - Session 010

[19:18] <jake2> Alright! Last time, you four, as part of your search for the antique map of the Vancouver area’s ley lines, were caught during your investigation of Eschaton Properties’s warehouse by two Seers of the Throne. After a short battle, you drove them off, buying time to eliminate most of the Hollow Ones stored in the warehouse,
[19:19] <jake2> as well as make off with one as a souvenir. Now you’re holed up in a Guardian safehouse disguised as a disused auto shop and have decided to pursue your lead on the TruLife “spiritual community,” which has several offices located around the metro area.
[19:20] <jake2> You’ve had time to clean up a bit, reload your weapons, and so forth. What is your next step?
[19:22] <ell> Aurelia pouts a bit. “We can’t leave her here, but we can’t exactly drag her into a firefight.”
[19:23] <desc> Doing some cursory googling on those offices. Any of them seem more or less significant? maybe a branch HQ or something?
01[19:23] <thomamelas> “Do not look at me. I am fairly certain Traceur will kill me if I even suggest storing the Zombie in an AA location.”
[19:23] <mranthropy> “We might be able to call for a sentinel to take the thing, but I am not sure you’ll get it back.” Sinon replies. “Regardless there are six locations, four of us and only one car.”
[19:23] <jake2> (desc – typing up your answer, it’ll be a couple secs)
[19:30] <jake2> Here’s the breakdown of what Elithora finds. There are six locations, mostly in poorer and older sections of town, although one is in an immigrant-heavy area in West Vancouver (which, confusingly, west of North Vancouver, across the river). You’ve numbered them 1-6.
[19:31] <jake2> Location 1 is in Old Chinatown and is a “recruitment center” in a tiny storefront. Location 2s and 3 are similar; one is in West Vancouver and one is near Burnaby.
[19:31] <jake2> Location 4 is downtown on the second floor of an office building. It’s called the “TruLevel Testing Facility” and apparently only accepts appointments.
[19:31] <ell> “We can’t hit them all at once, so I think splitting up at all will be a bad idea. Just have to rely on our luck.”
01[19:32] <thomamelas> (Cass just fell out of a chair, and tried to convince people it was me sneezing.)
[19:32] <jake2> Location 5 is in north downtown, the bad part of town (vaguely near the clinic from your first mission). It’s called TruLines Housing and apparently serves as some sort of urban charity, like Habitat for Humanity.
[19:32] <jake2> (hahaha)
[19:33] <ell> (you’re with Cass?)
01[19:33] <thomamelas> (On Vent)
[19:34] <jake2> Location 6 is known as the Wellness Ministry and is in a small private office park in Richmond. Street View makes it appear to be very private and possibly guarded.
[19:35] <jake2> That’s pretty much the extent of what googling has been able to tell you.
[19:36] <desc> Elithora drags the map around between each location. “Hmm. I’m curious about this testing facility. The ministry might be juicy too but it might be tricky to get in. What do you guys think?”
01[19:37] <thomamelas> Shrugs. “I picked last time and it certainly was not where the map was.”
[19:40] <ell> “I think a divination might be better than my guessing.”
[19:40] <mranthropy> “Agreed.”
[19:40] <mranthropy> (agreed that a divination might be good, not a slam on anyone’s guessing…)
[19:42] <jake2> (so and so is the WORSTGUESSEREVER)
[19:42] <desc> Elithora is going to Fate-Sight to see if any threads appear more tangled with the rest of the world.
[19:42] <desc> 4d10h8
[19:42] <critical> desc, 4d10h8: 1 [4d10h8=3,9,5,5]
[19:42] <desc> Elithora squints at the map points on the screen and has a vague sense of something …
01[19:43] <thomamelas> (We got to burn down the seer zombie factory. I think that makes me the best guesser.)
[19:46] <mranthropy> (it is pretty awesome. only wish i hadn’t missed the firefight.)
[19:48] <jake2> (Desc, Fate sight is like infrared vision – it won’t highlight the right answer from the computer monitor, but show you the strings of fate all around you. THATSAID, you see fairly strong strings of fate headed out the front door of the building and thence to the northwest. That suggests locations 1, 2, 4, or 5.)
[19:48] <jake2> (and of course if you guys start following them you’ll be able to narrow it down even more)
[19:51] <ell> (of course)
[19:51] <desc> Hmm.
[19:52] <desc> “I’m voting the testing facility. Whatever they’re up to there, I’d bet there are records on-site.”
[19:54] <ell> “Who wants to get an appointment?”
[19:54] <mranthropy> “They just have to think we have an appointment.”
01[19:55] <thomamelas> “I will I guess.”
[19:56] <jake2> site 4, then?
[19:57] <desc> yessir.
[19:57] <desc> Do we want to set up an appointment or just jedi mind trick them? It might be worthwhile to actually get an appointment, but we also don’t know what exactly they’re expecting from patients.
[19:58] <jake2> From what you’ve been able to piece together, you think “testing” refers to the fake psychological tests they give prospective members. The ones that tell you you’re full of Thetans.
[19:59] <mranthropy> We’d have to stop by either 1 or 2, to get an appointment probably? Aurelia can Jedi mind trick them, and Sinon can always imitate an actual patient.
[19:59] <mranthropy> (Thetans? my dad was right, the scientoglogists are part of the conspiracy!)
[20:00] <desc> (Dude these guys are so scientology. I promise you they have books with vaguely sci fi covers and ambiguous self help platitudes on the back.)
[20:01] <jake2> (they totally do)
[20:02] <jake2> (with like golden pyramids and spaceships and shit)
[20:02] <mranthropy> so we need to go in and act like we have low self-esteem?
[20:02] <mranthropy> and are really gullible?
[20:02] <desc> “Super, super gullible.”
[20:02] <ell> “Should be simple enough”
[20:03] <jake2> Ok! So you’re heading to one of the recruitment centers?
[20:04] <ell> yp
[20:04] <desc> Yep.
[20:04] <mranthropy> We’ll go to whichever one is closest to the testing center
[20:04] <jake2> Ok! That would be location 1, in Old Chinatown.
[20:06] <jake2> You pile into the car and head north and west, through the busiest bits of downtown and then pass under an ornate if somewhat neglected gateway marking the boundary of Chinatown. You’ve heard rumors that this area is where some of Vancouver’s vampires live, but as it’s daytime and business hours you don’t anticipate that being an issue.
[20:08] <jake2> The recruitment center is on a run-down side street, its facade heavily reinforced with steel grates over the windows, which themselves are papered over with sun-faded posters of an idealized bald human figure striking a messianic pose under a beam of golden light.
[20:09] <jake2> “NEED A NEWLIFE? FINDYOURTRU-LIFETODAY”
[20:10] <ell> “Who’s that clown?”
[20:10] <jake2> (it’s your better you! who is a dude, obv)
01[20:11] <thomamelas> Shaking his head, casting mage sight.
01[20:11] <thomamelas> 5d10h8
[20:11] <critical> thomamelas, 5d10h8: 2 [5d10h8=8,2,2,7,8]
[20:11] <ell> Aurelia puts her goggles on
[20:12] <ell> 4d10h8
[20:12] <critical> Ell, 4d10h8: 0 [4d10h8=3,1,2,2]
[20:12] <ell> or doesn’t
01[20:12] <thomamelas> (The goggles. They do nothing.)
[20:12] <jake2> (hahahahaha)
[20:12] <mranthropy> Sinon puts on a pair of sunglasses. (mage sight)
[20:12] <mranthropy> 6d10h8
[20:13] <critical> MrAnthropy, 6d10h8: 4 [6d10h8=9,7,8,8,2,8]
[20:13] <jake2> Thom, there are very very faint traces of magic here. This place has had magic used in it sometime in the last week or two, but there’s nothing currently magical in it besides you four.
[20:13] <jake2> which mage sight is sinon using?
[20:13] <mranthropy> life
[20:14] <jake2> There are three people inside, two men and a woman, all in their mid-twenties.
01[20:14] <thomamelas> “I do not see any obvious wards or protections.”
[20:15] <desc> Dweebsville.
[20:16] <mranthropy> Sinon nods. “Aurelia, perhaps we should look at what our TRU-LIFE could be.”
[20:16] <ell> (half time)
[20:16] <mranthropy> (casting incognito presence)
[20:16] <mranthropy> 5d10h8
[20:16] <critical> MrAnthropy, 5d10h8: 1 [5d10h8=1,1,9,3,6]
[20:16] <jake2> (ok! Aurelia can watch the car. It’s a shitty neighborhood)
[20:16] <mranthropy> (bye bye last mana!)
[20:17] <ell> aurelia does the same
[20:17] <ell> (aww)
[20:17] <ell> 9d10h8
[20:17] <critical> Ell, 9d10h8: 1 [9d10h8=1,3,3,2,7,4,9,5,4]
[20:17] <ell> wow
[20:18] <jake2> if it’s any consolation, everyone was rolling like butts in pony’s game last night
[20:18] <jake2> critical is just mean
[20:19] <mranthropy> (nope its totes cool i got four successes on a mage sight! you know, when you rellly need it!)
[20:19] <jake2> (hahahah)
[20:19] <jake2> Okay, Ell, are you making your diet coke run?
[20:20] <jake2> Sinon and Elithora and BJ can tackle this while you do that
01[20:20] <thomamelas> Casting invisablity to machines.
01[20:20] <thomamelas> 4d10h8
[20:20] <critical> thomamelas, 4d10h8: 1 [4d10h8=5,7,2,[10,7]]
[20:21] <jake2> oh, good idea
[20:22] <jake2> How are you all tackling this?
01[20:22] <thomamelas> Is planning on let Sion take point.
[20:23] <desc> They get random people in and out all day. They have no reason to suspect anything about us. I think we can talk our way into getting an appointment at the center.
[20:23] <mranthropy> (1 sec – phone call)
[20:27] <mranthropy> (back!)
[20:28] <mranthropy> Sinon walks into the recruitment center and looks around somewhat nervously.
[20:28] <desc> Are we all going in together? I’m sure they get groups of derpy people seeking guidance.
01[20:30] <thomamelas> Makes sense to me. Follows along behind, deciding he could pull off the skeptic a bit more then crazy.
[20:31] <jake2> The man and the woman, who are apparently the volunteers on site, are speaking to the second man, who’s in the middle of recounting what you can instantly tell is a very long and boring story about how he astral-projected once.
[20:31] <desc> Elithora follows, doe-eyed.
[20:31] <jake2> They look up at you with relief. “Oh, excuse us, sir, we have new Seekers!” They smile dazzingly. Their clothes are very casual – slacks and t-shirts – but their teeth are impeccable.
[20:32] <jake2> “Welcome, travelers!” the woman says, stepping forward and offering Sinon her hand. “What can we do to help?”
[20:34] <mranthropy> Sinon shakes the woman’s hand softly. “Oh, I don’t know. It feels kind of silly coming here…”
01[20:34] <thomamelas> Makes a polite snort of disdain as if he is just there for Sinon.
[20:34] <desc> Elithora touches Sinon’s arm reassuringly. “But the website said …”
[20:37] <jake2> “I see, you’re here to support your friend in his search. He’s a fortunate man. John, can you take them aside and start compiling a case history?” She looks Sinon in the eye. “I’m Melody. Let’s step in back and you can tell me what’s been troubling you and how we can help.”
[20:40] <jake2> John steps forward and smiles at BJ and Elithora, picking up a tablet as he does so. “Fantastic to have you here, friends. Would you like to join me over here?”
01[20:42] <thomamelas> Follows him. “Of course.”
[20:42] <desc> Elithora follows as well, looking dopey but interested.
[20:42] <mranthropy> Sinon looks Melody in the eye for a second and then quickly looks away. He follows her into the back.
[20:42] <ell> )
[20:43] <ell> (back)
[20:43] <jake2> (wb!)
[20:44] <jake2> John begins asking Elithora and BJ a series of fairly inane questions about their relationship with Sinon. What is the egeneral gist of what you’re telling them?>
01[20:45] <thomamelas> Friend, worried about him, not quite saying cult.
[20:45] <jake2> Melody leads Sinon to a back room where a series of tacky paintings of waterfalls and cats hang. She sits on the other side of a folding card table. “What brings you to us?”
[20:46] <desc> Elithora nods thoughtfully, adding that he seems dissatisfied and “needs something to focus him.”
[20:48] <mranthropy> “Well, um, I’m pretty new to Vancouver and things have been a little rough…” Sinon goes into a story of being a mid-level manager at Credit Dauphine and the various first-world problems he encounters. “…that’s when I read the Niadetics book and thought there might be something more out there. It all feels a little silly to be completely honest.”
[20:49] <mranthropy> (i can give you a manip.subt. if you want)
[20:49] <jake2> (go for it!)
[20:49] <mranthropy> 7d10h8
[20:49] <critical> MrAnthropy, 7d10h8: 2 [7d10h8=7,4,2,7,[10,1],5,9]
[20:51] <ell> (jake2, get in chat in vent)
02[20:51] * jake2 (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) Quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
[20:52] <ell> or
03[20:52] * jake3 (Mibbit@161D67C.F200AF3C.184D5AC1.IP) has joined #cfgames
[20:52] <ell> leave mibbit
[20:52] <mranthropy> oops?
[20:52] <jake3> ugh mibbit
[20:52] <jake3> back
[20:53] <ell> (jake3 hop in chat in vent)
[20:54] <jake3> Melody leans in sympathetically. “Don’t worry. I hear stories like yours all the time – but the good news is that you have a Father overhead who wants to help you find your Tru Life.”
[20:57] <mranthropy> A wave of relief passes over Sinon’s face. “That sounds so… freeing. If you really think I am a candidate, what are the next steps?”
[20:58] <jake3> She begins typing on a small netbook. “Well, your case sounds particularly urgent and I don’t think we should delay.” A printer begins whirring in another room. “If possible, I’d like you to visit our testing center downtown to take our free personality assessment. There’s a small materials fee, of course, but that can be addressed later…”
[20:59] <jake3> She excuses herself and grabs the printout, pushing it into Sinon’s hand. “This is your invitation. Please consider going as soon as possible. Knowing more about yourself is never something to be feared, right?”
[20:59] <jake3> (here she is: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5gv0afRs31qbcqqdo1_500.png )
[21:00] <mranthropy> Sinon nods, gripping the printout in both hands as he heads toward the door.
[21:02] <desc> (an academy award-winning performance, sinon)
[21:02] <mranthropy> (bows)
[21:03] <jake3> (hahaha)
[21:03] <jake3> Ok! John immediately trails off as Melody exits – he clearly was just trying to keep you guys and your bad vibes separated from Sinon for a while. “What do we think, Mel?”
[21:04] <jake3> “Well, your friend is in real pain from self-disjunction. His current self and Tru-Self are wildly out of alignment. But we can help with that.”
[21:05] <jake3> (Off to the testing center?)
[21:05] <mranthropy> (yep!)
[21:09] <ell> “We have an invitation?”
[21:09] <jake3> The testing center is located in a ten-story office tower downtown, the sort of place that holds law offices and realtors. The testing center on the second floor is an office decorated in such a way as to suggest a psychiatrist’s without actually coming out and saying it. Plush carpet, recessed lighting, soft music, and so forth.
[21:11] <jake3> There’s a waiting area equipped with soft leather seats and stacks of informational pamphlets. “Unplanned pregnancy? TruLife can help!” “TruQuestions and TruAnswers” and so forth.
[21:12] <jake3> Who all is going inside?
[21:12] <ell> Aurelia will
[21:12] <ell> 9d10h8
[21:12] <critical> Ell, 9d10h8: 2 [9d10h8=5,1,7,5,9,6,2,9,1]
[21:12] <mranthropy> Sinon too.
[21:12] <ell> incognito presence cast
01[21:13] <thomamelas> Will go in too.
[21:13] <mranthropy> casting incognito exchange on the way to make himself look like more of a middle-management type.
[21:14] <mranthropy> 10d10h8
[21:14] <critical> MrAnthropy, 10d10h8: 3 [10d10h8=6,2,4,[10,10,7],5,[10,2],6,3,3,5]
[21:15] <desc> Going in, not casting anything as yet.
[21:16] <mranthropy> (like most life magic that is vulgar, however, will be using an implement to reduce paradox pool)
[21:16] <jake3> (ok!)
[21:16] <jake3> (your gnosis is 3, yes?)
[21:17] <mranthropy> (yep, and that is a rote)
[21:17] <jake3> chance die, then
[21:17] <jake3> 1d10h8
[21:17] <critical> jake3, 1d10h8: 0 [1d10h8=1]
[21:17] <jake3> NICE
[21:17] <ell> ohshit
[21:17] <jake3> not only is there no paradox, you are at 1 dice for future paradox rolls today
[21:18] <jake3> The receptionist looks up as you enter. She’s a woman in her thirties, unremarkable except for the dazzling white suit she seems to be wearing. “Welcome! Do you have an appointment with us today?”
[21:19] <mranthropy> “Uh, yeah. Aaron Smith.” Sinon hands over his invitation.
[21:20] <jake3> She looks it over quickly. “A priority case!” She presses a button on her desk and the door to her left clicks open. “Go right in, sir. Head to room C, third on your right.”
[21:23] <mranthropy> Sinon begins moving toward room C.
[21:23] <mranthropy> (silently wishing he had more mana available…)
[21:23] <jake3> (hah)
[21:23] <ell> Aurelia silently follow, being inconspicuous
01[21:23] <thomamelas> (could totally have donated some if he had been asked)
[21:23] <jake3> (you could always scour your pattern for it)
[21:24] <mranthropy> (i always forget that stuff is transferrable!)
[21:25] <jake3> Ell, you slip by the secretary while she has her back turned. Aurelia and Sinon are now in a carpeted hallway with rooms on the right and left side. Room C is the third from the right, and its door is open. There are soft voices coming from rooms A and B.
[21:26] <desc> Elithora is waiting in the waiting room, flipping through a magazine while her friend goes through his transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
[21:26] <ell> Aurelia discreetly checks for electronic surveillance
[21:27] <jake3> magically or otherwise?
01[21:29] <thomamelas> Is trying not to look irratiable. Using fidgeting to look around the room for security staff.
[21:30] <ell> mundanely
[21:30] <jake3> Aurelia doesn’t see any evidence of cameras. The waiting room is just BJ, Elithora, and the receptionist, with the occasional patient/sucker entering or exiting.
[21:31] <jake3> Is Sinon headed toward the exam room?
[21:31] <ell> Aurelia follows and sticks around outside the door, being inconspicuous
[21:33] <ell> FUCKYOUBEET
[21:33] <mranthropy> Sinon heads toward room C, pausing for a couple of seconds before entering. “Wish me luck.” (going to scour pattern, reducing dex to 2 for 3 mana)
[21:34] <jake3> (is beet with the thunder?)
[21:34] <ell> (my god our roster is so thin that bringing in the reserves consists of ONEGUY)
[21:34] <mranthropy> (going to cast mind-based mage sight)
[21:34] <ell> (yes, hasheem thabeet)
[21:34] <mranthropy> 5d10h8
[21:34] <critical> MrAnthropy, 5d10h8: 1 [5d10h8=5,1,4,9,1]
[21:36] <ell> Aurelia is going to do a detect mind
[21:36] <ell> 4d10h8
[21:36] <jake3> Sinon sees his mind, the other mages’, and a handful of others, such as the ones behind the doors. Then a series of very small, almost dead sparks, such as the receptionist. He recognizes that effect.
[21:36] <critical> Ell, 4d10h8: 1 [4d10h8=9,6,2,4]
[21:37] <jake3> Ok! That is what you both see, mentally
[21:37] <jake3> There are more bodies in this center than minds.
[21:37] <ell> Aurelia gets an idea
[21:38] <ell> casting telepathy on the receptionist
[21:38] <jake3> go for it
[21:38] <ell> 8d10h8 vs resolve+gnosis
[21:38] <critical> Ell, vs resolvegnosis: 1 [8d10h8=1,6,[10,7],7,7,6,3,1]
[21:38] <ell> critical does not like me tonight
[21:39] <jake3> 2d10h8
[21:39] <+critical> jake3, 2d10h8: 0 [2d10h8=7,2]
[21:39] <jake3> yeah but it worked!
[21:40] <ell> reading thoughts
[21:40] <jake3> Sinon steps into room C. It’s a spare office, like an interview room, and the man on the other side is fiddling with the dials of a machine that looks like a cross between an oscilloscope and a stereo receiver. He also wears a lab coat, somewhat unconvincingly. He stands up and offers a hand. “Welcome to the Testing Center.”
[21:41] <jake3> Her thoughts are almost nonexistent. “is the phone ringing? no. is anyone coming in the door? no. is the phone ringing? no. is anyone coming in the door? nois the phone ringing? no. is anyone coming in the door? no. it hurts when I try to remember. is the phone ringing? no. is anyone coming in the door? no.”
[21:42] <mranthropy> Sinon takes the mans hand and shakes it. “Is that the Onaniscope?” He points at the dials.
[21:42] <desc> (creepy.)
[21:43] <ell> Aurelia can’t hide the pain from the realization of what those husks were… of how they were murdered, twice.
[21:45] <jake3> The man smiles. “You’ve heard of it. Then you know that it’s a painless process that enables us to identify the most critical failures in your actualization process so we can begin the work of healing.” He sits down and produces something like a blood pressure cuff. “If you’ll roll up your sleeve…”
01[21:46] <thomamelas> Picks up a magazine and flips through it.
[21:47] <mranthropy> Sinon begins rolling up his sleeve-taking the opportunity to size up the man in the lab coat.
[21:47] <mranthropy> 7d10h8
[21:47] <critical> MrAnthropy, 7d10h8: 3 [7d10h8=6,3,2,[10,8],1,4,[10,5]]
[21:47] <ell> Aurelia looks for more concentrations of the dim sparks. Ones without any strong minds around
[21:47] <mranthropy> witssubt to get a mundane read on the dude
[21:48] <jake3> Thom, the advice in the magazines is all presented in a very hippie-dippy, new-agey kind of way, but reading between the lines it seems to repeatedly suggest that pain and suffering are illusions and that happiness is most often found in submission to an authority figure.
01[21:48] <thomamelas> So Seer propaganda. Makes a note. Starts actually reading it to write it back out later.
[21:49] <jake3> It also seems to wave off empathy. “Don’t worry about the world – what matters is YOU. How do YOU feel? Have YOU achieved what you want?”
[21:49] <jake3> Sinon knows from his mage sight that this guy has a mind, and moreover, appears somewhat canny. He’s a bit suspicious of you.
[21:51] <jake3> As he applies the cuff, “Melody from the clinic phoned ahead. She’s a sweet girl, don’t you think? She’s brought hope to so many already. You’re fortunate we were able to fit you in this afternoon…every day more people come through that door, dissatisfied, wanting answers…”
[21:54] <mranthropy> “She is really nice. I’m just so excited to begin maximizing my actualization… I never expected to be able to get in so soon.”
[21:56] <jake3> He chuckles. “Very enthusiastic! You’re a successful member of the world outside, by the look of you. If you can apply that kind of commitment to your TruLife, you’ll be on our fast track very soon. New vistas of opportunity will open before you.”
[21:57] <jake3> After the cuff is on, he sits back and begins asking you a series of questions that wouldn’t be out of place in a generic personality inventory, except every answer seems to provoke a frown from him and an adjustment of the dials.
[21:58] <jake3> (Are you doing anything during the test, or mainly buying time for the others to poke around?)
[21:59] <mranthropy> (do i notice anything magical going on via mage sight?)
[22:01] <ell> (beyond the black rainbow)
[22:02] <jake3> Sinon can tell that a scrying window has opened in the room.
[22:03] <jake3> (beyond the black rainbow looks so freaky. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ertVYn750
[22:05] <mranthropy> (woah)
[22:05] <mranthropy> (evil carl sagan seems spooky)
[22:06] <jake3> (I guess the movie ended up having almost no plot and being a creepy giant music video but I still kind of want to see it)
[22:06] <desc> (plot is for movies that don’t look cool)
[22:06] <jake3> But so yeah, someone is scrying on Sinon and the test proctor.
[22:07] <jake3> (oh rad, thom says it’s on netflix)
[22:07] <desc> (also free on amazon prime)
[22:09] <ell> I find more mindless peeps?
[22:10] <jake3> One of them is a security guard, Ell, who’s walking the corridor. He’s wearing the uniform of a company called Praetorian Guard.
[22:10] <jake3> He doesn’t seem to notice you.
[22:12] <ell> of course he doesn’t. I’ll walk straight past him. After all, I’m wearing an aura of “is supposed to be here”
[22:13] <jake3> Okay! Are you on the lookout for anything in particular?
[22:15] <jake3> The “backstage” area of this facility seems to be mostly paper records and a few servers. A couple of Hollow guards are patrolling, and there are some other Hollow Ones mindlessly making copies and filing.
[22:15] <ell> I’m just going to walk around and mentally catalog how many there are and what they are doing
[22:16] <desc> (How lame would it be to be a mindless servant and your task in post-life is to photocopy stuff all day.)
[22:17] <mranthropy> (Like the seers can’t afford iPads or something!)
01[22:19] <thomamelas> (So much less creepy with the iPads though.)
[22:19] <jake3> Not counting the secretary, there appear to be six – two guards, three clerks who are sorting application forms and printing invoices, and a sysadmin who is currently refreshing his reddit. There are seven not-Hollow minds in this place; six in the testing rooms A, B, and C, and one in the frosted-glass rear office. That one has some kind of shield up, too.
01[22:20] <thomamelas> (Wait, the programed the zombie to reddit? )
[22:20] <jake3> (well yeah. someone has to mod there)
[22:20] <desc> (that’s inhuman. THISHASGONETOOFAR.)
[22:21] <mranthropy> (where are the explosives?)
01[22:21] <thomamelas> (My god, it’s like a IT cargo cult.)
[22:21] <jake3> (hahahah)
[22:22] <jake3> (the HOllow Ones are given artificial minds, enough to make small talk and carry out basic tasks with autonomy. and really, what is more basic than posting on reddit?)
01[22:24] <thomamelas> Gets up and goes to the receptionist. “Excuse me Miss, where is the bathroom?”
[22:27] <ell> Aurelia is going to snoop on the minds in room A
[22:27] <jake3> She gestures to your left. “Right back there!”
01[22:28] <thomamelas> (Is that through the door to the back?)
[22:28] <jake3> Correct, but on the opposite side from where Sinon and Aurelia went.
[22:29] <desc> Elithora flips a few pages back and forth while watching discreetly.
[22:29] <jake3> She buzzes you through. “Charlie!” One of the guards moves unobtrusively to keep an eye on the bathroom door.
01[22:30] <thomamelas> Goes into the bathroom and checks the ceiling. (Is it a drop ceiling?)
[22:30] <ell> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD5Cu7La21s&feature=y%C2%ADoutu.be
[22:31] <jake3> Ell, the minds in room A. The “client” is a young college student, a girl who recently went through a really terrible breakup. It’s constantly on her mind. Her test proctor is thinking about how she likely has no worthwhile assets for the organization to be “tithed,” but maybe he can talk her into a date…
[22:31] <jake3> THom, there is a drop ceiling!
01[22:32] <thomamelas> (What am I watching?)
01[22:32] <thomamelas> Excellent. Stepping up onto the toliet and popping a tile up. Looking for some nice networking cable.
[22:33] <ell> (the greatest show ever)
[22:33] <jake3> A packet of cable is running just within arm’s reach.
[22:33] <desc> (i have such a crush on drunk chef girl)
[22:33] <ell> (ditto)
[22:36] <jake3> (test)
01[22:36] <thomamelas> Going to try listen in on their network. Because why not.
01[22:37] <thomamelas> 4d10h8
[22:37] <critical> thomamelas, 4d10h8: 1 [4d10h8=1,9,3,4]
[22:38] <jake3> nice!
[22:39] <jake3> You’re able to read a series of communications back and forth between this post and the head office (the “Wellness Ministry”).
[22:40] <jake3> The head office is upset that “throughput” in the past three months has not been up to quota. They need more workers for the TruLines construction projects.
[22:41] <jake3> The email makes the point that the conversions need to be “legitimate” because “H.O.s are exceptionally susceptible to the resonance along LLs and become unpredictable.”
[22:42] <desc> (o rly)
[22:42] <jake3> (rly!)
[22:43] <ell> (Aurelia has a new mission)
[22:43] <jake3> (what’s that??)
[22:43] <ell> (shut this whole damn thing down)
01[22:44] <thomamelas> Right, don’t want to get caught. Gonna put the tile back in place, flush the toliet and wash his hand.
[22:44] <mranthropy> (sounds like something Sinon would be down for!)
01[22:45] <thomamelas> (Is pro fucking with Seers in general, very much in favor of shutting down zombies.)
[22:46] <jake3> Ok! Thom, you exit the bathroom and the guard nods at you. He’s been very obviously trying to make sure you don’t get up to mischief.
01[22:46] <thomamelas> Doesn’t goes back to the reception area without so much looking at the other rooms, picks up the magazine again.
[22:47] <jake3> What’s next? Sinon’s Q&A session is wrapping up soon. You’ll all be surprised to hear that he is showing strong signs of un-self-actualization and needs to begin an intensive course of wellness immediately.
01[22:48] <thomamelas> Will share what he learned when clear of the Cult of the Living Dead.
[22:48] <desc> Elithora picks up chit chat as soon as BJ sits back down, flipping the magazine upside down and announcing with dismay that the self-quiz in this magazine has scored her at a 0-4 for self-actualization based on the answer guide.
01[22:49] <thomamelas> Makes a big show of rolling his eyes at that.
[22:49] <mranthropy> Sinon continues answering the battery of inane questions, while keeping an eye out for any spells being cast in/into the room.
[22:53] <jake3> There’s an attempt to read his surface thoughts near the end of the session.
[22:53] <ell> Aurelia checks on the next room, B
[22:54] <jake3> 2d10h8
[22:54] <critical> jake3, 2d10h8: 2 [2d10h8=[10,7],8]
[22:55] <jake3> Sinon feels himself being very gently probed by magic.
[22:55] <ell> reflexive resistance
[22:55] <desc> think dopey thoughts and fake them out!
[22:56] <mranthropy> what is the reflexive resist roll?
[22:56] <ell> 3d10h8
[22:56] <critical> Ell, 3d10h8: 0 [3d10h8=4,4,1]
[22:56] <jake3> composure plus gnosis, right?
[22:56] <ell> Aurelia doesn’t notice it
[22:56] <ell> Resolve
[22:56] <jake3> ah right
[22:56] <ell> resolvegnosis
[22:56] <mranthropy> 5d10h8
[22:56] <+critical> MrAnthropy, 5d10h8: 3 [5d10h8=1,[10,9],1,8,7]
[22:57] <jake3> Sinon beats the check. He appears adequately mundane.
[22:57] <ell> note that even mortals reflexively resist
[22:57] <ell> so whoever is casting it probably just curses their inability
[22:59] <jake3> Ell, room B is occupied by a man who has apparently been suffering persistent hallucinations recently. The man in the room is surreptitiously making notes to pass this up the chain to see if the subject is a candidate for “enlightenment.”
[23:02] <jake3> Sinon’s test proctor receives a text message and briefly glances at it. “Sorry about that, sir. Just a note from one of the brethren. Anyway, as I was saying, I think a strong course of wellness, begun immediately, is your best option here to get back on track.” He hands you a card. “I’d like you to begin attending our weekly meetings at this address.”
[23:02] <jake3> “Within the next two months, if you are able, we’d like to schedule you for one of our TruLife Retreats. Two weeks in the mountains, close to nature…you’ll be yourself again in no time.”
[23:03] <mranthropy> Sinon nods, “Thank you. This is so exciting!” He moves toward the door.
[23:03] <jake3> Okay! Are you all reuniting outside?
01[23:03] <thomamelas> Yep.
[23:04] <jake3> You all compare notes.
[23:04] <jake3> What do you guys make of what you’ve learned, and what’s next on the agenda?
01[23:05] <thomamelas> “I think what the Mysterium and what the Seekers are looking for is the same thing. And I think they might be closer.”
[23:05] <jake3> You know that TruLife apparently milks some charges of their wealth, to finance their operations, while others are apparently made into Hollow Ones. You know that TruLines, the housing charity, has some kind of construction project involving “LLs” whose resonance interferes with “HOs”.
[23:05] <ell> “They do have a map, and no moral compunctions”
[23:06] <desc> “A distressing thought. I guess I hadn’t expected them to be so … efficient about this.”
[23:06] <mranthropy> “Just be glad these are Paternoster and not Panopticon.”
01[23:08] <thomamelas> “I think we need to bring in the Consilium.”
[23:08] <jake3> What do you guys think you’ll want to focus on for next week? We can continue the hunt for the map, or begin working on the Abyssal entity in the pubic library, or something else altogether.
[23:08] <jake3> er PUBLIC library *cough&
[23:08] <ell> “HO is Hollow One, LL is Leyline, clearly”
[23:09] <desc> We’re making progress on the map, as much as I’m curious about our library-beast.
01[23:09] <thomamelas> The Seers are likely the bigger threat.
[23:10] <ell> I think that may be why we should focus on the beast
[23:10] <mranthropy> Sinon always wants to see the Seers burn…
[23:10] <ell> It’s more immediate
[23:10] <mranthropy> …but he is willing to play a long game
[23:10] <ell> and the Seers will require collective action, which takes time
[23:11] <desc> we can always take a stab at the library. I’m up for either.
01[23:11] <thomamelas> We can libary it up.
[23:12] <jake3> Ok! I will plan on the library for next week, then. Some time will be assumed to pass, enough for you all to recharge your willpower and Mana.
[23:12] <mranthropy> given that we know where the seers have been building things, we might be able to infer parts of the map, in the meantime too, right?
[23:13] <desc> true.
[23:13] <jake3> Sort of yes and sort of no. You found a list of Eschaton Properties holdings, which TruLife “rents” from, but TruLife’s own charity housing project is another thing altogether. That said, that could totally be something one of you guys researches “off-screen.” If you do, just let me know.
[23:13] <mranthropy> that should give the mysterium something at least
[23:15] <ell> Yep
01[23:15] <thomamelas> BJ would be up for some poking around as a sidekick.
[23:15] <jake3> also, next week I will be up for a new round of sidequests for anybody who wants ‘em. Desc, I particularly want to get you started if you have a free evening in the near future.
[23:15] <ell> Need to finish up mine as well
[23:16] <jake3> But anybody who’s free and wants to do something, definitely let me know. And if you’re NOT free but have some idle time, you can always write about your mans.
[23:16] <ell> what are baseline XP totals at?
01[23:17] <thomamelas> Not sure. I didn’t seperate out the story and sidequest XP.
[23:17] <jake3> Thank you for mentioning that. Those of you who have transcripts, if you could email them to me or post them on OP, even raw and unedited if need be. I’m missing a few and want to total out everyone’s XP.
[23:18] <desc> I should be around. Jake, I have a half-edited rtranscript from december i’ve been sitting on and meaning to finish. I can send it over. I’ve logged most of the last few weeks as well if any are missing.
[23:18] <jake3> yeah, send em all over if you can
[23:19] <jake3> I want to go through and add up all xp and also start keeping a record on OP of all xp awards
[23:19] <jake3> that doesn’t preclude editing them for xp, btw. I just need the raw info because of dumb mibbit
[23:19] <ell> that would be nice since I have no idea how much I have right now and the last time I spent any was 2 months ago
[23:20] <jake3> that’s what I was thinking, ell
[23:20] <jake3> also
[23:20] <jake3> now that we’ve built up a good head of steam
[23:20] <jake3> I wanted to start an Actual Play thread on rpg.net of the game
[23:21] <jake3> which basically entails, I tell people there about the campaign
[23:21] <desc> oh snappu
[23:21] <mranthropy> all, i need to get to bed asap. jake – email me if there is anything i need to know. g’night!
02[23:21] * MrAnthropy (~MrAnthrop@cloak-97973A00.static.kc.surewest.net) Quit (Quit: MrAnthropy)
[23:22] <jake3> so what I was thinking is I would write up summaries of the sessions, with my annotations and side notes for the readers, and run them by you guys to see if you wanted to add commentary of your own.
[23:22] <jake3> G’night!
[23:23] <jake3> so rad, ok
[23:23] <desc> sounds badical
[23:23] <desc> did anyone log tonight because for once I did not
[23:23] <jake3> thom?